and the legal captors have received the amount. I have done all in my power to please your Highness, but I must now inform you that I shall never send to Algiers again about the Consul, for I do not understand being trifled with; your Highness may send me your sentiments when and how you please. I am, your Highness's most obedient Servant, NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN ROSS DONNELLY, H. M. SHIP NARCISSUS. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 27th August, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to receive my dispatches for the Dey of Algiers, and proceed with them to that place in his Majesty's Ship under your command, without a moment's loss of time; and as the intentions of the Dey are very doubtful, and may be hostile towards us, you will take the necessary precaution to anchor the Narcissus well out of reach of their guns and batteries, until you have sent a Boat with an Officer on shore, and are assured of their peaceable disposition. You will then land, and send my letter to the Dey immediately through his Ministers, who I desire you will acquaint with my astonishment at the Dey's conduct after all the conciliatory measures I have taken on his account with our Government. In the event of the Dey's wishing a personal interview, you will wait upon him, but by no means on your part desire it; and in such case, you will express to him in the strongest manner, my astonishment at his conduct, as before-mentioned. I herewith transmit you a copy of my letter to the Dey, for your guidance in this mission, and desire you will govern yourself agreeably to the spirit of the said letter. Having remained at Algiers twenty-four hours, you will proceed immediately, with such letter or other information as you may receive from the Dey, to Gibraltar, and deliver them to Commissioner Otway, to be transmitted to me by the first opportunity; and afterwards put yourself under the command of Captain Sir Robert Barlow of the Triumph, and follow his orders for your further proceedings. NELSON AND BRONTE. TO CAPTAIN SIR ROBERT BARLOW, H. M. SHIP TRIUMPH. [Order-Book.] Victory, at Sea, 27th August, 1804. You are hereby required and directed to proceed immediately, with his Majesty's Ship Triumph under your command, to Gibraltar; and on your arrival there, you will use every dispatch in woolding and securing the foremast, and also in strengthening the mainmast, if necessary to put them in a proper state for a short period of service; but you are on no account whatever to take out either your fore or main mast at Gibraltar; or to give the Triumph any kind of refit, which may take the stores from that Arsenal, but such as may be absolutely necessary for temporary service. Having secured your foremast, &c. you will proceed outside the Straits (taking care, previous to your leaving Gibraltar, to acquaint the Merchants at Cadiz and Malaga, that a Convoy will sail for England very early in October, in order that they may be ready to avail themselves of its protection,) and cruize in such a situation as you may think most likely to insure the safety of a Convoy hourly expected from England. But should you judge that the Triumph's presence in Cadiz would more effectually protect them from L'Aigle, or any of the Enemy's small Cruizers which may be there, you are at liberty to put in there, and remain until you shall learn, or are satisfied, that the said Convoy has entered the Straits, and safe arrived at Gibraltar, when you will return to that place, bringing with you the Trade, and such money as the Merchants at Cadiz may have to send to England, if they are ready to accompany you. Having directed the Captains of the Narcissus and Maidstone to follow your orders for their further proceedings, you will take them under your command accordingly; and it is my positive directions that the former is not allowed to take out her bowsprit, or get any repairs whatever at Gibraltar, but such as may really be wanted; and you will be very careful not to take any more stores or provisions in the Ships under 2 Sir Robert Barlow died an Admiral of the Red, and a Knight Grand Cross of the Bath, in May 1843. your orders than may be necessary for the passage; and so soon as the Maidstone arrives with the Trade from Malta, (which I expect will be about the latter end of next month, or early in October,) you will proceed with the whole Convoy from Malaga, Gibraltar, Malta, and Cadiz, as expeditiously as possible, consistent with their safety, through the Straits, and accompany them till they are round Cape St. Vincent, and clear of L'Aigle, when you will direct Captain Donnelly to continue on with the whole of them (taking care to regulate his rate of going with that of the worst sailing Vessel in his Convoy,) till it shall be deemed proper for the Trade bound to Ireland and the Bristol Channel to part company, when you will order him to make the signal for that purpose; and as the Maidstone is in a very bad state, and not equal to encounter a winter's gale, direct Captain Donnelly to proceed with the before-mentioned Trade in the Narcissus, and send the Maidstone on with the rest of them to the Downs; instructing the Honourable Captain Elliot to drop such as are bound to Ports in the Channel on his way up, and to inform the Secretary of the Admiralty with his arrival and proceedings, and wait at that anchorage for their Lordships' further orders. And when the Narcissus shall have seen the Trade under her protection, for Ireland and the Bristol Channel, in safety to their destination, you will order him to proceed to Spithead, and acquaint the Admiralty, as above-mentioned. With respect to the mode of getting the Trade from Cadiz, and such money as the Merchants may have to send to England by the Triumph, I must leave it entirely with you to determine upon, and act as circumstances may render necessary, as it is impossible for me to give an opinion, and therefore I must desire you will adopt the most advisable measure for this purpose; and after having seen the whole of the Convoy safe round Cape St. Vincent, and given the necessary orders to Captain Donnelly, as before mentioned, you will proceed with the utmost possible dispatch, in his Majesty's Ship Triumph under your command, to Spithead; and on your arrival there, acquaint the Secretary of the Admiralty, and transmit to him. an account of your proceedings, for their Lordships' information, and remain at that anchorage for their further orders. NELSON AND Bronte. TO CAPTAIN SIR ROBERT BARLOW, H. M. SHIP TRIUMPH. [Order-Book.] Memorandum. [Apparently about 27th August, 1804.] Having received information that the Enemy have two large Row-boat Privateers at Malaga, which have done considerable destruction to our Trade, it is my directions that you send the Narcissus, immediately on her arrival at Gibraltar, to cruize off that place and Cape de Gatte, until the arrival of the Maidstone and Convoy from Malta, for the purpose of their greater security, and the destruction of the said Rowboats, calling occasionally at Europa Point, to obtain information of the Maidstone's arrival, or any orders you may leave for him. NELSON AND Bronte. TO WILLIAM MARSDEN, ESQ., ADMIRALTY. [Original, in the Admiralty.] Sir, Victory, at Sea, 27th August, 1804. I herewith transmit you copies of Acting Orders which I have given to the two gentlemen named in the margin,3 in the room of the Lieutenants therein mentioned, who have been invalided, which I request you will be pleased to lay before the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, for their information; and, at the same time, acquaint their Lordships that Mr. Woodin' is the son of a very old and faithful servant of the Country, who was Master with Lord Hood for a considerable time, and has since been appointed Master-Attendant at Gibraltar. He is a very worthy, good man, and his services will, I trust, induce their Lordships to promote his son (who was in the Vanguard with me in the action of the Nile, and has always conducted himself with great propriety) to the rank of Lieutenant. In consequence of the Purser of the 3 Mr. Alexander Dixie, Mr. John Woodin. Lieutenant John Woodin was appointed to the Belleisle, and was killed in that Ship at Trafalgar. Narcissus being invalided, I have appointed Mr. Chenoweth of the Cameleon to that Ship, and Mr. John M'Arthur of the Victory to supersede him in the last mentioned Ship, which I hope will meet their Lordships' approbation. I am, &c. NELSON AND Bronte. TO LORD HAWKESBURY. [From Clarke and M‘Arthur, vol. ii. p. 384.] August 27th, 1804. In The deplorable state of the finances in the Island of Sardinia, has been represented to me not only by the Viceroy, but also by all the Governors, &c. Not one of their few Soldiers has been paid for years, nor a Governor or Officer. The Forts are going to ruin; there is not a gun-carriage fit to bear a gun, and their Gallies are to be laid up, from the impossibility of even purchasing provisions for them. short, my Lord, Sardinia is gone, if the French make a landing; not from their regard to the French, for I am sure the greater part hate them, but the Islanders must be released from their present miserable condition. I wrote to Lord Hobart fully upon the necessity of keeping the French out of it; for even should they take a temporary possession, how is Toulon to be watched? and great difficulty would be found in getting a Convoy either to or from Malta. I have said enough to your Lordship's intelligent mind; and if it is not lost before I have the honour of seeing you, I think I can satisfy your Lordship of the absolute necessity of having Sardinia open to us. I am, &c., NELSON AND Bronte. TO HIS EXCELLENCY HUGH ELLIOT, ESQ. [Autograph, in the Elliot Papers.] My dear Sir, Victory, August 28th, 1804. Since I received your letter, by the Kent, we have had a severe gale of wind, and have been blown under St. Sebastians, from whence I only got back on day I examined Toulon myself. Saturday the 26th, on which |